Sterol and Water-Soluble Vitamin Requirements for Larvae of the Red-Banded Leaf Roller, Argyrotaenia velutinana

Argyrotaenia velutinana (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), was aseptically reared on a defined diet. Lack of any one of the following vitamins in the defined diet resulted in 100% larval mortality: folic acid, riboflavin, thiamine, calcium pantothenate, nicotinamide, and choline chloride. When pyridoxine was omitted from the diet 10% of the of the larvae developed to the adult stage and the omission of biotin resulted in 20% larval survival to the adult stage. Larval development was similar on diets with or without vitamin B12. The minimum dietary amounts of nicotinamide, pyridoxine, calcium pantothenate, thiamine, riboflavin, folic acid, and choline chloride required for normal development to the adult stage were 6.0, 3.0, 1.0 0.1, 0.05, 0.5, and 50.0 mg'100 g diet, respectively. The omission of sterols from the diet resulted in 100% larval mortality. The minimum amount of dietary choleesterol required for normal development to the adult stage was about 0.05 g/100 g diet. Stigmasterol and β-sitosterol gave growth and survival rates equal to cholesterol; ergosterol was of low nutritive value.